Mixing libstdc++.so.3/5

[Stephan Bergmann]

Hi all.

I'm wondering whether it is possible to simultaneously have 
libstdc++.so.3.0.1 (GCC 3.0.1) and libstdc++.so.5.0.2 (GCC 3.2.2) in one 
process, on Linux.  Sorry if this has already been discussed or is 
simply ridiculous...

The scenario (the OpenOffice.org suite) is as follows:  There is a 
process composed of C++ shared objects built with GCC 3.2.2 (depending 
on libstdc++.so.5.0.2).  This process can dynamically load in additional 
components.  Some of the components would be built with GCC 3.0.1, so 
they would also bring libstdc++.so.3.0.1 into the process.  Those 
components are loaded RTLD_GLOBAL, so any symbols needed by those 
components that are available in both versions of libstdc++ would be 
taken from libstdc++.so.5.0.2 (which comes earlier in the search tree). 
  I noticed that none of the symbols exported by either version of 
libstdc++ are versioned.  The functionality the process and the 
additional components actually use from libstdc++ is mostly the __cxa 
and namespace __cxxabiv1 symbols; the namespace std stuff should be 
mostly ignored, as all C++ code is built against the STLport (using 
libstlport_gcc.so).

A small test suggests that mixing libstdc++.so.3.0.1 and 
libstdc++.so.5.0.2 in one process works (even passing exceptions), but I 
don't feel too well with such experimentation only.

Can anybody tell me whether my test working properly is either by sheer 
luck or by design?

Thanks,
Stephan